Blog
Keep up with the latest news
on Active Trans and topics that
we care about in the region.
This week a key hurdle has been cleared to bring high-quality rapid transit to Chicago’s far South Side. Chicago City Council’s approval was nearly unanimous for a “transit TIF” that leverages the property value realized from investments already made in places like the South Loop and Chinatown. This local TIF (tax increment financing) funding provides the match funding needed to […]
Commuters Take Action has only been around since April 2022. But in that short period of time, the resident-led advocacy organization has made a name for itself, representing a movement of frustrated commuters fed up with the slow and unreliable service of the Chicago Transit Authority’s buses and trains. Micah Fiedler, Olivia Gahan and Fabio Göttlicher co-founded Commuters Take Action […]
Bally’s Corporation, an international gambling company, is planning to build a $1.7 billion casino on the southeast corner of Chicago Ave. and Halsted St. The City of Chicago is currently in the process of gathering community feedback on this massive project that promises to dramatically increase vehicular traffic on two of the city’s busiest bus routes and along major bike […]
Active Transportation Alliance members recently met to reflect on accomplishments in 2022, discuss what lies ahead, and elect a handful of people to the organization’s board of directors. The event, attended by 175 people, also provided an opportunity to recognize the outstanding advocates and volunteers in our midst. For our advocacy awards, we honored four different grassroots groups that are […]
Inspired by the ghost bikes that honor those who were killed while biking on our streets, local artist Norma Rio-Sierra created a Day of the Dead altar dedicated to people who were killed while walking or biking. “It’s about creating a healing space and creating awareness of what happens when it’s not safe to walk and bike,” said Rio-Sierra. “It’s […]
More people than ever are bicycling around Chicago, thanks to the bicycling boom that emerged from the COVID-19 pandemic enticing people to hop on two wheels. But how do we maintain that momentum? One way to keep people on their bikes is to have secure, accessible, and functional bike rooms in commercial and residential buildings—a key piece of infrastructure that […]
For many people, snow and ice on sidewalks is more than an inconvenience, it can shut down daily life. That’s why our friends at Better Streets Chicago, with the support of their partners Access Living, are making the case for municipally-funded sidewalk snow plowing in Chicago. Chicago has a century-and-a-half old policy that requires residents, business owners, and property managers […]
For decades, people on the far South Side have heard promises about the extension of the Red Line. Now, finally, we’re thrilled to see the plan moving forward. There is broad community support for the project. Extending CTA’s L system to the far South Side will improve residents’ access to education, employment, healthcare, and other crucial services. The Red Line […]
The Chicago Transit Authority recently provided a bus tour along the right-of-way for the much-needed 5.6-mile Red Line Extension project. Once completed, Chicago’s major north-south L line will extend to the southernmost neighborhoods and fulfill a decades old promise. The extension will begin at 95th Street and head south to 130th Street, hitting four new stations along the way. […]
Despite nearly 450 people speaking out against a series of roadway expansion projects, leadership at our regional planning agency approved plans to add nearly 300 lane miles to our region’s roadways. As roadway expansion plans are being stopped in the name of racial equity, climate change, safety, and fiscal responsibility, it was disheartening to see the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for […]